Before Morning (Requested)
by 96qutie
Summary: (Pirate!Mika Noble!Yuu) Yuu was adopted by a noble at the age of twelve. But just because he's been living the life of a nobel doesn't mean he didn't have a past. When that past comes back for a visit, Yuu has a big decision to make.
1. Chapter 1

It was foggy today.

Yuu stood on the top deck, squinting into the mist.

It was so dark already. It was a bit early for night to come but the sun couldn't find it's way through the clouds.

"Yuu get away from there," Yuu suddenly heard someone snap and he turned around.

His father stood behind him, scowling crossly.

Yuu backed away from the side of the ship. "Sorry, Mr. Ichinose."

Guren Ichinose was not Yuu's real father. He was a very rich noble who was still unmarried, but seemed to have no interest in changing that status. He did however, want an heir to leave his legacy to. And that was why he adopted. Yuu.

The real reason Guren didn't want to be married was a secret, only known Yuuichiro and Guren's boyfriend Shinya- who was also the reason himself.

Guren shook his head. "Just be careful."

Yuu nodded.

It felt like they had been on this voyage forever.

They had been traveling for Guren's business. He brought Yuu along to teach him, but now they were back at sea on their way home and Yuu greatly missed the days when he had been allowed to spend his days on solid ground, walking around the city and not constantly being watched by Guren and his friends.

Even more than that… Yuu longed for older days. Before Guren had even adopted him, when…

Yuu shook his head.

"Yuu! We're heading below deck for dinner." Guren called as he and his colleague turned around and headed back below.

"Be right there!" Yuu called after them, but he didn't really think Guren had stopped to wait for him.

Yuu sighed, turning around to take one last look out to sea.

Then he heard an odd sound.

Was that a thump? Yuu wondered to himself, suddenly getting an odd feeling like he wasn't alone.

Yuu turned around. He thought he had heard the sound from the other side of the ship.

Carefully placing his hand on his sword handle, Yuu walked as quietly as possible toward the other side of the deck.

Yuu was almost there; feeling the eerie, misty silence around him. It was so dense he felt like if he breathed at all it was deafening

Then behind him there was a…

CREAK.

Yuu flinched, drawing his sword and about to whip around when suddenly someone else's sword flipped up and caught him around the neck.

Yuu backed up, away from the blade and was greeted by a solid figure behind him. and an arm that came up to grip his waist.

"Don't move, noble," a smooth, male voice said in Yuu's ear. "We're after your cargo. If you don't get in our way we'll leave you unharmed."

Yuu felt a chill go down his spine.

"Pirates…" he murmured, and the arm around him tightened.

"That's right, so don't do anything stupid. Right about now my subordinates should have found you cargo hold and-,"

"Oh, so you're the captain?" Yuu asked, a smile slowly tugging up his lips.

His heart was beating fast. He hadn't felt this alive in years.

"Then I guess I just have to take care of you."

Yuu threw his arm back and elbowed the man behind him hard, up and behind the ribs.

The person grunted and Yuu slipped his blade under theirs, knocking it away as he whipped around and leveled his blade at them. A smirk on his lips.

The man behind him, a blonde, quickly raised his sword to guard against Yuu.

"Well that was unexpected." He murmured, lowering his head which was heavy with a thick black-leather hat. His body was clad in a long blue coat and Yuu could see black boots covering most of his legs.

Yuu snickered.

"So the noble, can actually fight." The man finally raised his head enough that Yuu saw the gleam of blue eyes. "Will wonders never cease?"

"It's a passion of mine." Yuu replied lightly. "So shall we see who-,"

Yuu broke off, his eyes widening as he got a closer look at the captain's face.

The captain, surprisingly young and with a sharp, pale face and blue eyes, smiled at him. "What, are you challenging-,"

"Mika?"

The captain stopped speaking.

"That is you, isn't it Mika?" Yuu asked suddenly, lowering his sword and stepping forward.

The captain held his sword even more defensively. "Who told you to call me that?"

"Don't you recognize me?" Yuu raised his face so that it caught more of the fading light. "We grew up in the same orphanage when we were younger-,"

Mika's eyes widened.

"Yuu?"

Yuu's smile spread across his whole face, lighting up his eyes like sunlight shining through ivy.

"Yeah it's me."

"This is Guren Ichinose's ship…" Mika murmured, "What are you doing here?"

Yuu's smile fell a little and he blinked. "Well I-,"

Mika's eyes looked down, taking in Yuu's fine suit and tie, and shiny leather shoes.

"That's right." he said. "You were adopted by a nobel." Mika's eyebrows tipped downward. "Wow… I guess you were right."

Yuu's eyebrows raised. "Right about what?"

"About that night." Mika replied.

Just then a high whistling sound broke through the fog.

Mika looked towards it.

"I have to go." He murmured, lowering his sword and taking a step back.

"Mika," Yuu took steps towards him. "Wait, I want to talk to you. You don't know everything that happened that night."

Mika looked into Yuu's face with a cautious interest.

"I always wondered about you," Mika said, taking a few slow steps toward Yuu.

Yuu felt a flush rush up into his cheeks. "Mika, please. Why are you a pirate? What happened? I just-,"

Mika held up a hand to silence him.

"We don't have time for this now, Yuu-chan." Mika said, and Yuu reacted to his old nickname.

Mika took a few steps forward, until he was standing directly in front of Yuu, looking down into his eyes.

"I'm here for a reason tonight." He murmured. "But… "

Mika reached out and placed his fingers underneath Yuu's chin, tipping it up.

He leaned down and kissed Yuu hard across the mouth. Making Yuu suck in a breath of surprise.

Then Mika pulled away.

"Next time, I'll come for you." Mika whispered, just loud enough for Yuu to hear it.

Then he turned around and strode off into the mist.

 **~.~.~.~.~**

Yuu didn't tell anyone about what he saw that night.

The cargo hold had been cleaned out, and the others knew it was pirates. But when anyone asked Yuu he said that he was caught from behind and knocked out. That he didn't see anything.

No one doubted him. His swords skills were largely secret and besides, they were pirates after all.

Guren was the only one who pressed him, but it wasn't because he was suspicious. More because he was furious that Yuu didn't put up more of a fight.

Yuu just took the ridicule in silence.

The rest of the voyage home, Yuu kept to himself. His mind drifting to other things. Remembering a time years before.

 **~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Six Years Before ~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The Hyakuya orphanage was not a rich establishment. Since the war, when money had become scarce and orphans had become numerous, the orphanage was over crowded and barely scraping by. Kids slept on the floor in all the rooms. Food was mostly broth, once or twice a day if they were lucky, and ultimately everyone knew what no one was saying.

The orphanage would close down soon.

"Where are all of us going to go?" The question would bounce around sleepy rooms, making the nights feel colder and lonelier than they already were.

That was the environment Yuu knew Mika from.

Yuu and Mika were among the oldest of the children, any older had been sent to the workhouses. The two of them had taken on a sort of brotherly role to the others, and they tried to take care of them as much as they could. To take the brunt of things, so that they didn't have to. But there was only so much they could do. And saving the orphanage was not one of those things.

One night, Yuu and Mika were lying on the floor among the others, and Yuu watched Mika with the sort of interest that he had always had for him.

Mika was different than anyone Yuu had met. He had been at the orphanage even before Yuu had, and it had been Mika who had welcomed him there. Mika seemed naturally inclined to bare all the weight of those around him. As if being around Mika was to always share in the burden. He kept Yuu from ever feeling alone. No matter who he had lost.

That night, as Yuu watched him through the dark, Mika turned his head to look at him.

There was a troubled look in his blue eyes that night. Filled with the thoughts spinning around his head.

Yuu saw it and his expression softened with understanding.

Mika lifted his chin, nodding for Yuu to get up and follow him. Yuu was surprised, but did as he was told. Getting up and following Mika downstairs.

"We can't say here." Mika said when the two of them sitting on the floor of the living room downstairs. Their heads were bent together, and they spoke quickly and quietly between them.

"If the orphanage closes then most of these kids will be sent to the workhouses or worse. There will be no safe place left for them. We need to make a plan, and leave now before anyone can stop us."

Yuu felt the grimness of what Mika was saying. Surviving on their own, especially with all these kids, would be a bleak picture. But it was better than the alternative. Which was what was terrifying.

"Okay." Yuu agreed, "But how?"

"We'll start stashing any materials we can get our hands on for the next few weeks." Mika explained. "Then when we have enough we'll prepare the others and we'll sneak away."

Yuu shook his head. "There's too many. We'll never make it out unnoticed, especially with the younger ones."

Mika thought.

"We'll go in two groups then." He murmured looking like he didn't like it. "I'll take the older ones first, since they can do with less sleep, and we'll get things prepared. You can bring the younger ones before dawn after they've gotten some sleep and after we're certain that the Matron won't notice."

Yuu hesitated, nervous. "I don't like the idea of being separated. What if…"

Mika put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Yuu. I trust you to help these kids. Do you trust me?"

Yuu looked into Mika's eyes. "Yes, of course."

"Good." Mika smiled. "Then in five weeks. Gather everything you can until then."

Yuu nods.

"Five weeks."

 **~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Present ~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The ship's ramp clanked loudly when they lowered it to the dock, and Yuu was in an anxious hurry to touch down on dry land the moment it was down, but Guren kept Yuu firmly behind him as he strode down the ramp.

"We have to go meet with the police." Guren told Yuu when their feet moved from the wooden dock to the firm cobblestones of the street. "I have to make a report about the theft."

"Right." Yuu agreed. "Do you think they'll be about to get it all back?"

"Who knows." Guren shrugged. "Sometimes they can find it after it's been sold. Which won't necessarily help us catch the pirates but it's better than nothing."

"Right."

This lead to Yuu sitting stiffly in a chair for two hours while Guren recounted the incident to the police.

"Well," the detective said, "The bad news is that we've never been able to get close to the pirate crew that is likely behind this. But the good new is with all of that merchandise they will have to unload it quickly, and the more they unload at a time the more we can recover and the more likely it is we can catch them."

"Of course." Guren agreed. "So what is the next step?"

"We keep an eye out for any of the possessions you are missing to turn up at a distributor. Once one does we'll retrieve and see what we can find out about how it got there. I'll notify you as soon as we know anything. In the meantime just stay wary and wait for something to turn up."

Guren was in a foul mood the rest of the day.

The carriage ride back to his townhouse was mostly silent, with him scowling out the window, and Yuu sitting awkwardly on the opposite bench.

When they finally did make it back though, Yuu took one look at the carriage parked out front and knew things would improve immediately.

"Ah, you're finally back." Shinya's voice greeted them as soon as they walked in. Guren looked up at him with a sour expression, but Yuu could tell it was already cracking.

"I'm going to head up stairs," Yuu reported. "Let you guys catch up."

"Good to see you, Yuu." Shinya said with a wink. Yuu snorted and rolled his eyes before heading upstairs.

Once up there, Yuu flopped onto his bed.

"Next Time I'll come for you."

Yuu closed his eyes.

His lips burned from the memory, and Yuu brushed his fingers over them as if he could cool them.

What was Mika planning? Always, always planning…

Memories started to flood Yuu's mind again.

 **~~~~~~~~~ Six Years Before~~~~~~~~~**

"Yuu, stop being so nervous. The great Mikaela will handle everything!"

Yuu looked at him with a smirk.

"You're sure we should go tonight? Are we ready?"

"Of course we are." Mika grinned. "Everything is arranged. I'll go right after we're released upstairs for bed. You and the younger kids can cover for us and then follow before morning."

Yuu nodded. "All right, but Mika,"

Yuu reached out and grabbed his arm. "Please be careful."

Mika's expression softened. "Of course. You too."

Yuu smiled.

That night all of the kids were downstairs playing before bed. Yuu and Mika among them, acting like nothing was different.

When it came time to get ready for bed, Mika gathered the attention of all of the older kids. "We'll go get ready first and then we can help the younger kids." Mika said, guiding all of them upstairs. "Yuu-chan? Will you come help me?"

Yuu looked at him in confusion, but quickly got up and followed.

The two of them stopped in a nook on the stairs.

"Do you remember everything? Where to meet?"

Yuu nodded. "Yeah."

"If there's a problem," Mika said, a little tensely, "And you aren't there before dawn then I'll come back here to check for you. Leave me a single in the back window if you can so I know what's going on."

"Okay." Yuu agreed. "Are you ready with everything?"

"Yes." Mika agreed. "Your half of the supplies will stay here. I'll take the other half."

Yuu nodded. "Then it sounds like we're ready."

"Yeah," Mika looked down. "Yuu-chan, there's just one more thing."

"What is it?" Yuu asked, raising his eyes back to Mika.

Mika smiled.

He leaned in quickly- quickly enough to startle Yuu- and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Yuu immediately turned bright red.

"See you before morning." Mika said, grinning but with a slight blush. "Good luck, Yuu-chan."

Then he dashed up the stairs and out of sight.

Yuu blinked idly for a few moments before shaking his head and hurrying back downstairs.

Yuu had just gotten back down, sitting cross-legged on the floor with the other kids, when there was a knock at the door.

The Matron frowned, but stood up and answered it.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm here to adopt a child," a deep voice on the other side said.

The Matron fluttered. "It's quite late…"

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." The voice replied. "But I promise I'll make it worth your while."

The Matron's eyes widened. "A nobel?"

Yuu felt something cold slip into his veins.

Should he get the others before they leave? Being adopted by a nobel… but what if he was up to something bad? Then the other's should escape while they can…

The Matron opened the door and a man came in, taking off his hat to reveal dark hair, messily slicked back underneath.

Yuu eyed him.

"Some of our kids have already gone up to bed-,"

"That's all right." the nobleman said. "I'll start here for now."

The Matron fluttered nervously.

The man walked forward. His steps heavy on the floors, and his clothing dark as his hair and his eyes.

Yuu stood up.

"I should get the others." He decided. "They wouldn't want to miss-,"

Yuu was about to turn and make a break for the stairs when the man grabbed his shoulder.

"You look strong."

Yuu looked up at him in surprise.

"Yes…," The man looked him over curiously.

"What's your name, boy?"

"What's yours?" Yuu spat, and the man laughed.

"Confident, defiant. I like it." The man teased. "My name is Guren Ichinose."

The Matron gasped, obviously recognizing the name.

Yuu felt a nervous sweat on the back of his neck.

"I'm Yuuichiro."

"Hmm…" Guren murmured. "Is that what you go by?"

"I go by Yuu." he said impatiently. "But I should really get the others-,"

"No need." Guren patted his shoulder. "I want you."

"What?" Yuu blinked.

"That's right. You're the one I want to adopt." Guren said.

Yuu sputtered. "But-,"

"Don't be modest," Guren wrapped his arm around Yuu and walked toward the Matron.

"I'll adopt this boy, and I'll pay you handsomely for him. But also..." He leaned toward her. "I will make a sizable donation to this establishment. I will set you up to run smoothly for years. Provided that you do not answer anything about either me or Yuu here, should anyone come asking."

The Matron blinked. "What do you mean?"

"If anyone comes here asking you about us, say you have no idea who we are. Do you understand?" Guren asked. "In return, I will give you all the money you need to keep going and to take care of all these children."

Yuu's eyes widen.

The Matron smiled. "Thank you Sir! I promise, I won't say a word."

"Very good." Said Guren. "Then let's draw up the paperwork."

"I just need to-," Yuu started to say.

"It's all right Yuu, sit down next to me. I'll handle everything."

Yuu swallowed.

It felt like a long time before Yuu was able to break away and make an excuse to run upstairs.

Too long.

By the time he made it, it was empty.

Yuu gripped his hair, breathing heavy like he might hyperventilate.

What was he going to do? He couldn't get everyone out of here unnoticed now. And if he were being honest he shouldn't. These kids were young, and they were better off in a funded orphanage then scraping by on the streets. But with Mika and the others already gone…

Yuu thought back to what Mika said, about a signal in the window. He quickly ran and grabbed a paper and ink. Not even bothering to look for the pen, just dipping his finger in and scrawling with it, big enough to read from a distance.

"Come Back."

With that he pressed the paper into the corner of the window.

"Yuu!"

Yuu swallowed and hurried back downstairs.

 **~~~~~~~~~ Present~~~~~~~~~**

That was Yuu's last memory of the orphanage.

He left that night, with Guren, and Guren kept his word. The orphanage was still going, much better than it had been before.

Yuu would visit it sometimes, and when he did he would always go around back and look up into the window.

When he did, for some reason, his note was always still there, tucked into the corner.

"Come Back." as if time had froze it there forever.

Yuu wondered if he would ever know what happened after that. What happened to Mika.

Now he knew.

Yuu opened his eyes and stared up at his ceiling.

"Mika… what are you going to do?"

That question wasn't answered for two months. In the meantime, making Yuu wonder if Mika had changed his mind and decided to forget about him.

That is until they got a call from the police.

"We've recovered this." The captain said, indicating a small pot. "It was in your collection, but I'm surprised. It's one of the least valuable pieces. We weren't able to trace it back to anyone, but it does indicate that the pirates are making their move."

"Are we still to wait, detective?" Guren asked as he passed the pot back to Yuu to hold.

Yuu looked at it carefully.

It looked like an ordinary pot.

Yuu scanned the sides, and the bottom and opened.

He didn't see anything. Until…

He looked into the lid, almost by accident, and he saw a small not rolled up inside.

Yuu carefully slipped it out and hid it in his pocket.

They went home, and Yuu gave the pot back to Guren.

He waited until he was alone in his room to unroll the note.

"I'm coming." It said. "Make your decision."

~.~.~.~.~.~

End of Part One

~.~.~.~.~.~


	2. Chapter 2

It felt darker outside that it was. The golden light spilling out of the window from the party inside made the night fall blackly around Yuu as he sat on wide windowsill on the side of the mansion, the cool night blowing through his coat like it was made of paper. Yuu shivered.

He didn't want to go back inside. Guren had dragged him to a benefit at the mansion of one of his wealthy noble friends. And for some reason being there made Yuu feel more like a fraud than he ever had before.

Unfaithful. That's what Yuu felt like right now. Like he was cheating, even though that hardly made any sense. He felt like he was cheating on his new life, with the person he used to be. Because he couldn't stop thinking about Mika.

It had been so long. Yuu wished he could say that all in all these years he'd hardly thought about Mika but that would be a lie. He did think about him. All the time. And the sting of the last night he saw him never faded no matter how many times he told himself he'd done the right thing.

And now Mika was coming back.

Yuu curled in on himself, putting his forehead against his knees.

"I miss you." Yuu whispered, at least once just for himself. "I miss you so much, Mika. But this is wrong."

Yuu shouldn't leave. He knew that, deep down. Same as he knew it the night he had met Guren. Somethings were more important than what he wanted. Guren funding the orphanage, Yuu's loyalty to Guren, who had only ever been kind to him. Who had taken him in and raised him like a son. Those things mattered. More than a boy Yuu hadn't seen in six years should matter.

But it was Mika.

Yuu couldn't explain what he felt for him. It was just something that had always been there. A pull to this boy who had somehow wormed his way under Yuu's skin and stuck like a thorn. Who hadn't faded from his memory at all no matter how many miles or years were put between them. Yuu sighed.

Sometimes he would still imagine talking to Mika. A habit since six years ago. Sometimes he would picture Mika, still a child, sitting across from him and looking at him with those agelessly wise blue eyes that looked straight into him. And Yuu would spill his guts in a way he could to no one else.

Yuu did it now.

"What's wrong Yuu-chan?" Asked the young Mika in his mind, placing a hand on Yuu's shoulder. "You seem upset."

Yuu closed his eyes tightly.

"I don't want to lose you again, Mika." Yuu said in his mind, his voice urgent. "After all these years I finally found you, and I don't want to lose you again."

"Then don't." Mika said with a gentle smile. "I'm coming for you, aren't I? We can be together again."

"But it's wrong Mika." Yuu protested "You're a pirate now, and I have a life here. I owe Guren everything. I can't just leave him. And if I did leave what would happen to the orphanage? Guren protects it because of me, they could lose everything if I go."

Mika's eyes softened. "Then you have to protect it Yuu. The orphanage was where we can from. You have to keep it safe."

"I know," Yuu agreed, and he wished in that moment that Mika was flesh and blood in front of him. That he could pull Mika to him and feel his arms wrap around him in return. But he wasn't really there. Yuu was alone.

Yuu pressed his face into his hands.

"If I tell you that I have to stay here, you're going to leave again, aren't you Mika?" Yuu asked the Mika in his head. His chest hurting like something was being torn out of it. "It'll be like six years ago all over. And I'll never see you again."

"Do I hate you for what happened six years ago?" imaginary Mika asked.

Yuu shook his head. "I don't know."

"Do you regret what you did then?"

"No."

"Then why are you so afraid to make the same decision?"

"Because, maybe you don't hate me," Yuu said, "And maybe I don't regret what I did. But I still lost you. I haven't seen you in all this time because I didn't choose you. And I DO regret that, Mika. I regret losing my best friend."

Imaginary Mika looked at him sadly. "Then don't let me go this time, Yuu-chan."

"How?" Yuu asked in confusion. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Imaginary Mika looked at him in the eyes, but when he spoke his voice was lower. "We're here."

Yuu blinked. "What?"

Mika continued to look at him with a blank expression. "This is the place."

Yuu jolted back to himself, lifting his head and opening his eyes.

He was still sitting on the windowsill, but now he could hear footsteps. For a moment Yuu panicked, until he realized the footsteps were around the corner from him, at the front of the house. But he still tucked himself further into the window in hopes that whoever they belonged to wouldn't see him.

The footsteps grew closer.

"This is the place?" A male voice asked. "Well it sure is grand, isn't it?"

A smooth chuckle.

"Is that jealousy in your voice? Don't tell me you wish it had been you adopted by a nobel. I thought you hated these stuffed shirts."

Adopted by a nobel? Well great, they were talking about him. Yuu made even more of an effort to hide. But something was bothering him. The voices… they were oddly familiar

"Of course I don't wish that." The first voice replied. "I was just observing. But you do realize how risky this is, don't you? If we're caught here…"

"No one knows what we look like," The second voice replied. "We'll be fine as long as we blend in. There are hundreds of people here and none of them are looking for us. If we keep a low profile we'll be in and out with no one the wiser."

"But are you sure about this?" The first voice asked. "I mean… I miss him too. But this just seems like a lot of trouble to go through for someone we don't even really know anymore. I mean, it's been years. And this sort of life changes a person."

The second voice was curt as it replied. "Not Yuu-chan."

Yuu froze. Mika?

"I'm just saying," The first voice continued. "It's a bit much. Are you THAT certain that he'll even want to come back with us?"

Yuu almost didn't breath as he waited for the answer.

"No." Mika's voice was clear, and low as he said it. And Yuu thought he even sounded a little sad. "No. I'm not certain of anything."

"Then why?" the first voice asked, and Yuu realized it must have been one of the other orphans from when they were kids, one of the older ones that escaped with Mika.

Mika sighed.

"I just need to hear his answer." Mika said and his voice sounded tired. Like he'd been carrying around a profound weight until that moment.

Yuu closed his eyes like a flinch.

"Okay." The first voice agreed, then. Understanding in their tone. "And you're sure he's going to be here?"

"Yes." Mika replied. "I saw the Ichinose carriage."

"Then we better get inside and look for him."

The footsteps continued, and then there was the sound of a door opening and shutting. And Yuu was once again left alone in the dark.

He didn't move for a time. He simply sat, resting his head against the window and staring blankly into the night.

"I just need to hear his answer."

Yuu ran a hand through his hair, and then bent forward, holding his head in his hands.

"This is impossible." Yuu said, his voice breaking. "I'm incapable of hurting you, Mika. It's not fair."

With that Yuu stood up, smoothing down his hair and straightening his clothes.

He let out a breath.

"Okay," He said, shaking his head. "Okay, Mika. It's time to let you find me."

~.~.~.~.~

The party was lavish.

Mikaela looked around at the bright colors of the silk clothing and the bounty of food that was plied on the table and shook his head.

So this was the world Yuu lived in, Mika thought. He was a little concerned about letting his men lose in a place like this.

Mika moved through the party quietly. Avoiding attention as much as possible.

He was dressed the part. A perk of his collection of stolen property. But Mika hated slicking back his hair so he hadn't bothered. And he somehow felt that the people around him may have noticed.

Mika only cared about one thing, though. So he didn't let himself be distracted by the stray looks or the glamor of his surroundings. His mind was on one thing.

Yuu-chan.

Mikaela hadn't seen him yet. In the sea of glittering, shimmering people. He worried a little that he would have a hard time spotting him, after only seeing him once in the last six years. But he told himself that it would be all right. It was Yuu after all.

That was when Mika spotted Mr. Ichinose.

Mika's eyes narrowed.

The man was standing with a drink in his hand, looking bored and irritable, and he struck Mika as a cold person.

It made him angry. Someone like that being close to Yuu. Yuu deserved better. Yuu was kind, and warm. He was the sort of person that cared for others, that wanted to protect them. Mika didn't like the idea of those qualities being exploited by some noble who didn't look capable of properly loving anyone.

Then a new thought occurred to Mika.

Yuu wasn't with him.

Mika frowned. He doubted that the the nobel would come here without his heir along to be shown off, but if that was true why was Yuu nowhere to be found?

Mika was just starting to worry that he had somehow been wrong about this whole thing, that he'd come here following Mr. Ichinose, not Yuu, who had been left behind.

But before Mika's thoughts could spin too far off the handle a bit of motion caught his eye.

He looked up. The mansion had a second floor that was visible from the center of the room. A hallway that was missing it's wall and ran like a balcony between the first floor and the ceiling. And when Mika raised his eyes he spied a dark-haired finger standing along it's railing

Yuu.

Mika turned toward him, their eyes meeting across the great space as Yuu looked down at him from above.

When they had, and Yuu was certain Mika had seen him he turned his head, and Mika followed his eyeline to a doorway that lead into the hall, through which Mika caught a glimpse of a staircase.

Mika looked back up at Yuu and nodded.

Yuu nodded back and then took a few backward steps.

Mika could still see him, he was crossing the second floor hallway and opening a door that was directly behind him. Then the dark boy slipped inside and shut the door again.

Mika smirked and shook his head.

Mika held the image of the door in his mind carefully as he turned and walked toward the doorway and up the stairs outside.

He was cautious, making sure no one saw him as he slipped up the second floor and hunted for the door Yuu had gone through.

When he found it, he carefully turned the knob.

~.~.~.~.~

"Yuu?"

Yuu heard Mika's voice behind him as he entered the room, and the door clicked shut as Mika closed it.

Yuu was standing across from the door, staring out the window. He could see Mika's reflection in the glass like a black mirror. His pale hair tousled and uncovered, and dressed in a fine gray suit.

Yuu smiled. He looked like nobel, except for his hair. And Yuu got a flash of this situation happening in reverse. If it were him standing there, and Mika who had become the nobel in his place. And he asked himself what he would want from his old friend after all these years.

Happiness, Yuu decided, looking for the blue of Mika's eyes in his reflection. He would want Mika to be happy.

Yuu turned around.

"Mika," He said and smiled. "You found me."

"You weren't exactly hiding, were you?" Mika asked, stepping forward into the room. He smiled back.

Yuu looked down. They were standing in some sort of guest room. The small, quiet space suddenly feeling very close and intimate, and it made Yuu's palms feel damp.

He hadn't been alone like this with Mika in a long time.

Yuu took a few steps and sat down on the edge of the bed at the center of the room. He let out a breath and folded his hands together in his lap. "No I wasn't hiding."

Mika raised an eyebrow, approaching Yuu cautiously. "What's wrong Yuu-chan?"

Yuu smiled. Those words hit him like a familiar scent. Something that took him back to being a kid, and being happy. One of those memories that stays sparkly and lovely forever because it happened when you were young, because it was home to you.

That's what Mika was for him. A piece of home.

"I just missed you, Mika." Yuu whispered, and he closed his eyes feeling hot tears well up in them and feeling immediately embarrassed as they slid down his cheeks.

Mika's eyes widened and he sat down beside him.

"Yuu-chan," His hand touched Yuu's back. "I'm here now."

Yuu dragged his jacket sleeve across his eyes, darkening the black of his suit. "Mika I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Mika's hand rubbed his back like when they were kids and Yuu wanted to laugh.

Mika was no different. He was the same. Protective, and selfless and the same.

"For what happened when we were kids," Yuu said, turning to look into Mika's eyes. "I left, and I never got to tell you anything. I just let you wait for me to come."

Mika's eyes widened in surprise. "Yuu…"

"Guren promised to save the orphanage," Yuu's voice became urgent. "He had all this money and he said he would pay the expenses. I didn't see a way out of it, and all of those kids were so young-,"

"Yuu," Mika put his hands on Yuu's shoulders. "It's okay. You were trying to protect them. I understood when I found out what happened."

"You knew?" Yuu asked in surprise. "How?"

Mika shrugged. "I didn't know everything. Not that it was Guren Ichinose. But I saw the orphanage got new funding, and I knew it had something to do with your note."

Yuu's eyebrows furrowed. "But you never went back?"

Mika shook his head.

"We were already out, Yuu." Mika said, his voice gentle and somber. "I asked the others what they wanted and they said they wanted to go. Were were already getting too old to have hope of being adopted. What life were we waiting for, there?" Mika shook his head. "We decided we wanted to leave."

Yuu searched his eyes. "I still go back there." He said. "Part of me thought…"

Mika looked down. "I'm sorry, Yuu. I didn't know."

Yuu shook his head. "Don't apologize. You did what the others needed."

"So did you." Mika looked at him. "And now here we are."

Yuu nodded his head slowly.

"I never thought I would see you again." He murmured. "Not after a while. I thought you would hate me."

"I don't hate you." Mika said quickly. "I just didn't know where you were."

"And if you had?" Yuu asked, looking into Mika's eyes. His expression was serious.

"I do now." Mika replied. "So I came for you. Isn't that obviously my answer?"

"But why?" Yuu asked, shaking his head. "What do you want by coming here, Mika?"

A sad look, came over Mika's eyes.

"I thought that was obvious, too." He replied. "I'm here to take you with me. If you're willing to come."

Yuu's jaw pulled tight, but he forced himself to keep looking in Mika's eyes. "Do you have any idea what I would be leaving behind?"

Mika pulled back from him.

"What?" Mika asked in a hard voice, anger blazing up in his eyes. He gestured to the room around them. "All of this? The parties and the trappings? To be honest, Yuu I didn't think we were the type to care about all of that."

"I don't." Yuu reached out to grab Mika's arm. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Then what?!"

"Guren!" Yuu shouted, and then flinched when he heard his own tone. "I meant Guren. He's taken care of me. He protected the orphanage for me. What kind of person would I be if I just left now? After everything."

Mika jerked his arm out of Yuu's grasp.

"So you're not coming with us?" Mika summarized, his tone dropping low. "That's your decision,"

Yuu looked down. "I didn't say that."

"Then what are you saying?" Mika's voice was raised again. "Tell me, Yuu, because I don't understand."

Yuu's eyes flashed up in a frenzy, "I don't want to say goodbye to you, Mika!" he snapped, his hands balling up into fists. "I can't do that again, not after I just got you back." Yuu quickly looked down when his voice broke.

He was NOT going to cry again.

Mika's eyes widened in surprise as Yuu cleared his throat.

"If you tell me I have to choose between you and everything else in my life…" Yuu murmured lowly and without looking up. "Then I've already made up my mind."

Yuu reaches out and finds Mika's hand, twisting their fingers together. He forces himself to look back into Mika's eyes.

"I'll choose you, Mika." Yuu promised, his eyes bright with sincerity and still red around the edges. "No matter what I have to give up, If you asked I would do it for you."

Mika's breathing faltered a little as Yuu reached up to touch his face with a gloved hand. His piercing emerald eyes drawing closer.

Then Yuu said, "But I'm asking you not to make me."

Mika blinked, coming back to himself. "What?"

"You heard me." Yuu replied. "I'll leaving the decision up to you, because I know that I'm not capable of giving you up again. But I want you to think about what you're really asking from be."

Mika stared at him, his eyes bright and searching. "Yuu… I don't have another choice. I have to leave here. My crew could get arrested if I don't."

Yuu nods. "And the orphanage could go under if I leave with you."

Mika shook his head. "Yuu, this is your choice-,"

"I told you, I chose."

"Then why are you doing this to me?" Mika demanded. "You want me to feel guilty for taking you away?"

"I'm just telling you the truth." Yuu shot back.

"Then give me up!" Mika shouted. "If the world is going to go to hell from us trying to be together, then maybe we shouldn't be!"

Yuu ground his teeth together, "If you could live with that, then what are you doing here?"

Mika glared at him. "What?"

"You're the one who came back for me!" Yuu shouted. "I already made the hard choice once, Mika. I tried to do the right thing, and it nearly killed me. Now you've stormed back into my life, and tore everything apart, just to make me lose you all over again?"

Mika shook his head. "That isn't fair."

"None of this is fair!" Yuu shoved Mika's shoulder.

Mika growled, "What do you want from me, Yuu?"

Yuu shoved him again. "I want this to be as hard for you as it is for me."

"You think this is easy for me?" Mika scoffed.

"I think I told you I would give up everything for you." Yuu spat pushing Mika in the chest one more time. "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THE SAME."

~.~.~.~.~

Yuu's words seemed to echo in the empty room as Mika stared at him wide eyed.

Yuu stared back. The red at the edge of his eyes slowly spreading through the rest of it like he was about to cry again.

Then he stood up.

"I guess that's my answer then."

Mika immediately stood with him. "Yuu, this isn't just about me."

"It's not just about me either," said Yuu, his hands going white at the knuckles from fisting them so hard. "But I would still choose you."

And then Yuu stepped passed Mika towards the door.

Mika turned around, "Yuu, wait!"

"Just answer me one thing." Yuu said, and he didn't turn around as he said it.

"What?" Mika asked, when Yuu didn't immediately continue, and Yuu's back straightened like he was bracing himself.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Mika froze in surprise.

"It's always when you're about to leave," Yuu continued, when Mika didn't respond. His voice was hard but he still didn't turn around. "You just kiss me."

Mika closed his eyes. "Yuu…"

Mika didn't know how Yuu moved so fast, but between one moment and the next, Yuu's lips were suddenly against his, and Mika was being shoved down onto the bed.

Mika groaned without meaning to, feeling Yuu's body land on top of his as he was pushed into the bed. On top of him, Yuu's lip pressed against his eagerly, and his hands found their way into Mika's hair.

"Yuu!" Mika tried to shout when he could get his lips free. "Yuu! What- are - you - doing?"

"You always kiss me goodbye right?" Yuu panted between kisses. "Well if this is our last goodbye then I'm taking what I'm owed."

Mika flushed all the way down his neck as Yuu captured his lips again and Mika felt their legs tangling together against the sheets.

"Yuu!" Mika tried to plead again but Yuu just used the opportunity to slip his tongue into Mika's mouth.

Mika moaned.

He head was starting to feel cloudy, and for a moment he forgot the pain in his chest, as Yuu's hands slid under his shirt, he forgot how angry Yuu had been as Yuu's legs slide up between his, and he even forgot his own name… until he felt something wet land against his cheek.

Mika's eyes opened, startled, and he started to taste salt between Yuu's lips as he continued to silence Mika with bruising kisses. But then Mika felt Yuu's body shaking against him.

The the kisses broke off as Yuu started to sob.

"Yuu-chan," Mika panted, trying to catch his breath as Yuu buried his face against Mika's neck.

Hot tears slipped between their skin.

"Is this really goodbye, Mika." Yuu cried, his arms going around Mika's waist. "Am I really never going to see you again?"

Mika felt his own throat tighten, and his eyes started to burn.

He reached up, his fingers weaving into Yuu's hair as he stroked his head, trying to sooth him.

"I don't want to take all of this away from you, Yuu." Mika whispered lowly, his other arm reaching up to hold Yuu too him around the waist. "You're right. I was selfish to come here and expect that from you."

Yuu shook his head. "I don't care about that anymore. I just wanted you to give me a reason to go. To tell me that being with me was more important."

Mika held him tighter. "How could I do that to you? You've done everything right, being here. How could I tell you to give that up?"

"The same reason I would give it up for you." Yuu whispered. "Because you love me."

Mika sucked in a breath.

"At least that's what I wanted." Yuu continued, sniffing. He'd stopped crying. Now he just sounded hurt, as he slowly tried to pull back and sit up.

But Mika didn't let him. He kept his arms locked around Yuu like iron, and Yuu remained trapped against his chest.

"Mika?"

"You love me?" Mika whispered, his voice low in Yuuichiro's ear.

The noble boy stilled, it only now occurring to him that he'd just admitted to that.

Finally he sighed.

"Yes. I love you, Mika." He said, twisting to press a kiss to Mika's cheek. "I always have."

Mika's arms tightened around him, almost until it hurt.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Mika asked, sounding shaky. "When I it could destroy everything for you? For both of us?"

"When else was I supposed to tell you?" Yuu asked. "When I was twelve?"

"If you had I wouldn't have-,"

"Wouldn't have what?" Yuu demanded. "What could you have done to change all of this, Mika? Tell me."

Mika shook his head. "I don't know."

"Nothing." Yuu replied. "There's nothing."

"And you would really give all of this up for me?" Mika asked, his voice low and almost sounding frightened.

Yuu nodded his head.

"I love you too." Mika whispered.

Yuu jolted.

"Why are you staying that now?"

"I almost said it that night." Mika admitted. "When we were twelve. I wanted too. But I was just a kid, and I thought we were going to be together forever. So I just kissed you instead."

Yuu blinked in surprise. "It wasn't a goodbye kiss?"

"It's never been a goodbye kiss, Yuu." Mika shook his head. "I just kissed you because I wanted too."

Yuu closed his eyes.

"Then don't leave me." He said. "Because you don't want to."

"I can't asked the others to get arrested for me, Yuu." Mika replied.

"What if you didn't?"

"What?"

"Just give me time," Yuu pleaded, pulling back to sit up and look down into Mika's face. "Maybe we could find a way to protect you and your crew, or I could find a way to leave without hurting Guren. We don't have to do this tonight."

"Yuu…" Mika hesitated. "That's selfish. We're putting everyone else at risk."

"I don't care." Yuu reached down and stroked his thumb across Mika's cheek. "I love you too much not to try."

Mika smiled sadly. "I love you too much to let you get hurt."

"You'll only hurt me if you leave." Yuu insisted. "Everything else I can handle."

Mika looked into his eyes and shook his head, sighing.

"Yuu…" he started, like he was heavily resisting whatever he had to say. "If… If I get caught…" He took a deep breath.

"Yuu, I'll be hanged."

Yuu went silent.

Mika swallowed. "I'm sorry. I can't stay here, Yuu."

Tears slipped down Yuu's cheeks again.

"Then I'm going with you."

"Yuu-,"

"Shut up." Yuu leaned down to kiss him again. "I'll explain it to Guren, somehow, but I'm going. You can't stop me."

Mika kissed him back feeling the way it made his heart stutter and it chest ache. Choosing not to argue with him, in favor of Yuu's tongue pushing through his lips.

But he still wasn't sure about this.

He still wasn't sure about what he was asking Yuu to do. Still wasn't sure that it was all right to take him away from everything he had.

Because Yuu was right before. Mika was the one who came back. Mika was the one that asked him to give everything up, even though he couldn't do the same.

And Yuu was also right about something else too.

None of it was fair.

~.~.~.~.~.~

End of Part Two

~.~.~.~.~.~


	3. Chapter 3

Mika and Yuu left the party.

Yuu left a message for Guren- who planned to go home with Shinya anyway- and took the carriage back to the townhouse. With Mika at his side, silently staring out the window.

"Hey," Yuu said at one point, sliding his hand across the bench to cover Mika's. "Is everything okay?"

"Hmm?" Mika blinked and looked up, turning to fix bright blue eyes on Yuu in the dimness. "Yeah. I'm just concerned about my crew. They can be troublemakers."

Yuu smiled. "The kids from the orphanage?"

"Most of them." Mika agreed. "We've gotten some new members over the years. Lost a few others."

Yuu nodded in understanding. "Do you need to go find them?"

Mika shook his head. "No. I planned on being separated from them tonight, and they have their orders. I trust them to do as they should."

Yuu smiled. "You planned on being separated from them all night?"

Mika shifted his eyes.

"I thought you and I would need some time." He explained, in a low voice and Yuu's expression softened.

"Mika…"

Mika looked into Yuu's eyes. Searching the deep, green depths of them and feeling his chest ache.

Yuu, to him, was so perfect. Stunning and alive and warm like summer. Like some wonderful natural thing that you could never quite capture without killing it's magic.

Mika had always felt honored that Yuu had been his friend when they were younger. That the two of them had been so close. Being chosen by Yuu had felt like the greatest compliment Mika was ever given. And the idea that Yuu loved him was a wonder so powerful that it hurt.

Mika leaned forward. "Yuu… Spend the night with me."

Yuu tensed in surprise, red staining across his skin. "Mika…"

Mika shook his head. "It doesn't have to be… Like that. I just mean… I want to be with you. Just the two of us. Before… everyone and everything else starts to matter again. Would that be okay?"

Yuu read his eyes. "You're crew is really fine until morning?"

Mika nods. "They are."

Yuu pressed his lips together. "All right."

Mika smiled, and it was warm and bright like when he was a kid. "Yeah?"

Yuu nods, and his hand over Mika's tightened. "But you know it won't just be tonight, Mika."

Mika flipped his hand over, capturing Yuu's fingers. He stared at their hands as he spoke.

"But tonight is special." Mika replied. "It's my night to be with just you. Like a holiday from the rest of the world."

Yuu reached out and tipped Mika's face up to look at him.

"I like that," He murmured with a smile. "Just you and me."

Mika reached out and stroked his hand through Yuu's hair. "Exactly."

~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

When Yuu and Mika arrived at the townhouse, there were lamps already lit all over the house, and Mika was surprised. That is until he saw a servant walking down the hallway.

Of course, thought Mika, nobles' houses had servants. People who turned the lamps on, kept the fire, made it so that for the nobles all these things seemed to happen on their own. Like helpful haunting ghosts.

"Good evening, Emily." Yuu greeted a maid who walked by carrying towels, and she looked up.

"Hello, Mr. Yuuichiro," she replied with a smile and then her eyes shifted to Mika. "A friend from the party?"

"An old friend." Yuu corrected her.

Mika raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Maybe not like ghosts then. Not to Yuu, anyway.

"I'm Mikaela." He introduced himself, bowing slightly. The maid blushed at the gesture and curtsied.

"A pleasure," she said, and then went back to her work.

Yuu took off his coat and jacket and hung them on a post by the door. Mika hesitated for a moment before doing the same. Then Yuu pulled on his tie until it loosened so that he could undo his top few buttons.

Mika smiled. A glimpse of the Yuu-chan he knew.

Mika loosened his collar as well and followed Yuu into the house.

"Are you hungry?" Yuu asked. "Thirsty?"

"I'm fine." Mika replied, a little too stiffly. He didn't want to feel like he was receiving charity, but he felt bad taking out on Yuu.

Yuu nodded. "All right. How… how about we go up to my room? Its warm there and then you can put your feet up."

"Sure." Mika tired not to let any reaction show on his face as he agreed, but Yuu still smiled that blinding smile as he grabbed Mika's hand and pulled him up the stairs like a little kid.

Mika smiled too.

When they reached the next floor, Yuu let go of Mika and opened the door to his room.

Mika was surprised.

It was a wealthy room-with a lit hearth across from the bed even-but it still seemed like him. With furnishings of green and blue around the room and books stacked on shelves and a desk in the corner, somehow both neat and messy at the same time.

Mika already felt it was familiar to him.

"Nice," Mika said aloud, giving Yuu a low-burning smile. Yuu looked back at him shyly, running a hand through his hair.

"Thanks." Yuu sat down on the bed, kicking off his shoes. He leaned back on his hands and looked at Mika. Mika looked at the way Yuu's body curved when he stretched like that.

Yuu's expression changed. His smiled fading and his eyes turning dark and shaded.

"Mika."

Mika looked up into Yuu's eyes, and he felt the mood shift around him. The crackling of the fire suddenly deafening in his ears.

Yuu shifted, sitting up and pulling more on his tie. Slipping it off from around his neck. Then his fingers went to the buttons on his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Mika asked in a low voice, like he might startle something. He watched Yuu's movements; absorbed but suspicious as Yuu shirt started to fall open. Revealing smooth, tan skin.

"I know you said this isn't what you meant before," Yuu murmured, his fingers shaking a little when he moved them aside. His shirt now hanging open. "But, I thought… It is just us…"

Mika raised his eyes back to Yuu's. Who looked vulnerable and a little frightened. "Yuu… isn't this all…" he sighed. "I don't know… It's been six years."

"I thought about you all the time," Yuu sat up a little, like he wanted to get up and bring Mika closer to him. "In six years, there wasn't ever a point when I wasn't still thinking about you."

Mika's lips parted.

"Me too," He whispered, before he could stop himself. And Yuu smiled.

"I don't think the clock resets just because we haven't seen each other." Yuu said, looking at Mika in a way as if to lure him closer. "I think I've just loved you for years. Together or apart. And I think I'm ready for this."

Mika swallowed.

He still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. If it was right, by any reasonable standards. But at that moment, Mika started pulling off his tie.

"Me too."

Yuu barely managed a wider smile before Mika crossed the room and crashed his lips over Yuu's.

They landed together on the bed. Yuu moaning when he felt Mika's weight slide over his bare stomach. The sound only encouraged Mika as his hands moved between them to glide over the skin.

Yuu tugged on Mika's shirt, fiddling with the buttons until it came apart. Mika let him. Moving his own hands around Yuu's back to skim them up his spine. Making the boy arch into him pleasantly.

"Mika," Yuu panted, pushing back a little so that he could move. He shifted up until he was sitting with his back to the pillows and he shrugged the rest of his shirt off his shoulders throwing it aside. He eyed Mika and Mika did the same.

Yuu's eyes darkened as they roved Mika's exposed, pale torso. The hard ripple of his stomach and the smooth curves of his chest. Yuu let out a shaky breath.

Mika was not less enthralled though. Yuu was softer than him. More delicate. Evidence of their difference in lifestyle. But for Mika, Yuu was lovely and slim. With the beautiful angles of his bones cutting lines into his warm, golden skin.

And just like that, Mika was back against him. Pushing him down into the pillows as his lips moved urgently from his mouth, to his jaw, until his was nipping hungrily at the slope of Yuu's throat.

Yuu gave a needy moan. "I didn't peg you as liking to bite."

Mika laved his tongue over the mark. "So you had theories then? About what it this would be like?"

Yuu blushed but didn't lose his bravado. Mika got the feeling nothing ever intimidated his confidence.

"I may have thought about it." Yuu breathed, molding his lips over the curve of between Mika's shoulder and his neck. "I also may have dreamed about it."

"Really?" Mika sucked against Yuu's collarbone before continuing to descend his kisses down Yuu's chest. "And what were your dreams like?"

"Not as good as this." Yuu repled, twisting his fingers in his sheets when Mika's tongue flicked over one of his nipples.

Mika lips smiled against him. "Mine either."

Mika could feel Yuu's pulse jump against his lips at that.

"Come back here." he said. Pulling Mika up by his chin until their lips met again, and Yuu's hands wove into his hair.

Mika moaned into the kiss, and his heart pounded at the urgency he felt in it. Like Yuu couldn't bring him close enough. It made Mika feel needed, in a way he had never, ever felt before.

And for some reason… it hurt like hell.

"Yuu," Mika said, and his voice whined as his desperately pulled Yuu closer to him, as he pushed his tongue passed Yuu's lips and pressed himself into him. Wanting to disappear there. Wanting in that moment to be inseparable parts of the same person, until Yuu was something that could never be taken away.

The desire burned in him-like the fire that cast shadows in Yuu's eyes- eating him from the inside until he was pushing Yuu down and arching his body into him. Twisting them together and making Yuu groan.

But it still wasn't enough.

Mika fingers went to Yuu's pants.

Yuu's breathing picked up, but he didn't stop him. He even lifted his hips when Mika got them undone so that the blonde could slide them off over his legs. Then Yuu's started doing the same to Mika.

"Mika," Yuu's voice was rough, when he felt Mika's nearly bare legs sliding between his own. A knee running up the inside of his thigh.

Mika struggled with himself. He wanted to hesitate. He wanted to go slower. For Yuu, to protect him. To be gentler with him. But part of him was so starving for this. Aching for it; as if Yuu was something vital Mika had been lacking all this time. And he just wasn't sure how to pull himself back.

"Are you sure about this, Yuu-chan?" Mika tried, moving himself back at least long enough to look into his eyes.

Mika's own eyes were blown out, and searching. Looking at Yuu like he was something mythical. Like he was something too grand to quite believe, and it made Yuu's body flush with heat.

"I'm sure," Yuu said, reaching up to curve his hand to the side of Mika's jaw. "Do you… I mean…" Yuu swallowed.

Mika tilted his head confused. "I want to, Yuu…"

Yuu blushed.

"No. I mean- good! I'm glad- er, at least." Yuu shook his head. "That wasn't what I was going to ask."

"Oh," Mika tried to read his face. "What then?"

Yuu let out a breath.

"Are you… I mean…" Yuu closed his eyes and seemed to argue with himself. He didn't open his eyes before asking, "Do you want to be on top?"

Mika felt a surge of blood moving somehow up and down his body at the same time. It left him feeling a little dizzy.

"Are you…" Mika cleared his throat, "Comfortable with that?"

Yuu turned red. "I… wasn't, but… with what we were talking about earlier…"

Yuu hesitantly met his eyes. "I dreamed about it once. With you… like that and it was…" Yuu ran a hand through his hair. "Just be patient with me, okay? I don't really know how…" Yuu trailed off avoiding Mika's eyes.

Mika blinked in surprised and then smiled.

"Lay down Yuu," Mika whispered, spreading Yuu out beneath him on the bed and climbing over him. "I'll show you everything."

Yuu sucked in a breath.

Mika started out slow, moving his fingers over Yuu's body, and leaning back in for a kiss to distract him.

Yuu obliged. Arching his body into Mika's touches and his voice catching from time to time when Mika found the right places. Then, when Mika felt Yuu had relaxed… he carefully slid off Yuu's undergarments.

Yuu tensed, just a little, but Mika felt it and he drew patterns on Yuu's thigh to sooth him. Quickly twisting his tongue with Yuu's to bring out the boys competitive side.

It worked. It always worked. Yuu pushed back instantly and his body relaxed again. Hardly even noticing when Mika reached down to slide off the last of his own clothes as well.

He did notice, however, when Mika moved his body forward and settled his hips over Yuu's.

Yuu groaned loudly.

"Mika," He whined, when they broke for air, bending his neck back when Mika moved.

Mika moved again. Building on the friction.

Yuu's eyes rolled back in his head a little.

"You're sensitive." Mika noted with breathy satisfaction, and his eye grew impossibly darker.

He felt like something wild. He felt like a fire. The more he was fed the more out of control he was becoming. And he didn't want to stop until both he and Yuu were consumed.

"Shut up," Yuu blushed reaching up to skim a hand over Mika's stomach. Stopping to teasing Mika's chest between his fingers.

Mika grunted, bucking his hips into Yuu and making the boy hiss.

Yuu smirked. "You're the same," he said, fixing Mika with hazy eyes.

That pulled Mika back to kissing him.

Mika kissed him hard. Over and over and over, pressing him back into the pillows with his force. Yuu didn't yield though. He pushed back, nipping and sucking at Mika's lips and tongue until they were both red lipped and wet and breathless.

Then Mika's hands started to roam again.

At first he was just teasing. Running smooth strokes over Yuu's length and admiring the feel of it.

Yuu bucked instantly.

"Shh," Mika hushed him, when he started making loud, sexy cries. "Do you want everyone to hear you?"

Yuu blushed but glared at him at the same time.

Mika ran two fingers around Yuu's swollen lips. Tracing them.

Then he pushed them open.

"Suck on them." Mika instructed, sliding his fingers over Yuu's tongue. Yuu shivered but closed his mouth and did as his was told. Giving Mika's fingers long, hard sucks that made his blue eyes hazy.

"That's enough." Mika murmured and Yuu released his fingers. Mika smiled before leaning back in to kiss over Yuu's jaw.

"Spread your legs." Mika mumbled against Yuu's skin. Yuu's dick jumped with interest as his moved them apart.

Mika smirk was pressed into the hollow of Yuu's neck.

"Focus of this." Mika said, as his made a trail of deep, sucking kisses down to Yuu's chest.

Just when Yuu's eyes slipped shut and he gave a shaky breath of approval, Mika's hand snuck up between his legs.

Yuu jumped. "Ah!" he shouted when he felt Mika's finger press into him, and the blonde quickly moved his mouth to take one of Yuu's pink nubs between his lips and suck on it.

Yuu arched."Mika!"

Mika kept distracting him, giving one side some long attention as he carefully moved his finger in and out, then he moved to the other side.

Yuu groaned, slowly loosening and relaxing back against the pillows as he grew accustomed to the intrusion. Trying to keep his mind on the feeling of Mika's lips.

Then Mika started to move lower.

He was more careful this time. Distracting Yuu with love bites and marks across his stomach while he continued to work. But when he got low enough that his breath brushed Yuu's dick, He carefully adjusted his fingers.

"AH! FUCK!" Yuu's body bent like a bow when Mika carefully timed wrapping his mouth around Yuu's dick at the same time he inserted his second finger. Moving both of them to stretch and mold Yuu's insides while his tongue and lips teased Yuu's tip.

Yuu continued to writhe and fist his sheets. "Mika!"

Mika hummed in response and Yuu felt it travel to his core, making him shudder.

Mika smiled around him.

It took a little while for Yuu to start to relax, but Mika didn't mind as he dipped himself lower and pulled more of Yuu into his mouth. Enjoying the way it made the boy flush and open his mouth in short, needy cries.

"Fuck Mika! AH!"

When Mika could feel he was stretched enough he changed his tactic. Pushing himself down and sliding Yuu to the back of his throat as he used his fingers to explore even deeper.

He knew the second he found what he was looking for because Yuu's hand tore through the sheet.

"AHHHHHH!" Yuu arched off the bed and his body shook when Mika's fingers pressed into the right spot. His already weeping cock shot streams of hot liquid into Mika's throat.

Luckily Mika had, at least sort of, seen it coming and managed not to completely choke. Although he did have to pull back and wipe what he couldn't swallow off with the back of his hand.

Yuu was still breathing hard when he was able to open his eyes and look at Mika. But when he did he sat up.

"Shit, I'm sorry." He reached for Mika apologetically but Mika caught his hand and kissed his fingers. Giving him a sexy, wet lipped smile that made Yuu's heart jump.

"It's okay." Mika said, leaning forward to kiss up Yuu's jaw to his ear, where he could breath hotly,"You're so sexy when you come for me."

Yuu shivered, and he tilted his head slightly without meaning to. As if inviting Mika to kiss his neck.

Mika grinned and took the invitation eagerly. Pulling Yuu towards him from around the waist and holding him closer.

Yuu's breathing was ragged again before too long.

"Mika, please." Yuu whimpered when Mika drug his teeth over Yuu's pulse point, making it jump.

"Hmm?" Mika hummed, still sucking on Yuu's skin. "Please what?"

Yuu frowned at Mika's teasing and his hand moved down to find Mika's cock and curl his fingers around it.

Mika jolted in surprise.

"I know you want to." Yuu murmured, low in Mika's ear. "You're so hard for me," Yuu's fingers traced up to the tip, "You're all wet."

Mika shuddered. "Yuu…"

"I'm ready," Yuu whispered, giving Mika's length a tug and making him buck into him. "I want you inside of me, Mika."

Mika moaned loudly.

"I love you, Yuu-chan," He panted, pulling back to look in Yuu's eyes.

The boy blinked, seeming a little surprised but then he smiled. His bright, warm smile.

"I love you too." He said and then leaned forward to kiss Mika hard on the lips, the two of them melting into more long, hot kissing as Yuu slid back down into a lying position and Mika curved over him, lining up their hips.

"If it hurts-" Mika started, when they broke for air, and Yuu reached up to glide his hand up Mika's neck.

"I know." He agreed. "I trust you." Then he pulled Mika back into the kiss and spread his legs wider.

Mika moaned against his lips, before aligning himself and slowly pushing in.

Yuu cried out. Clearly trying not to and accidently biting Mika's lips as he tried to keep quiet.

Mika ran his fingers soothingly through his hair, trying to hold very still.

"You're still so tight," he groan, desperately trying not to move.

Yuu gripped the sheets and squeezed his eyes shut until the pain started to subside.

"You can move, Mika." Yuu told him when he felt like he could. Opening his eyes to look up at him.

Then he reached up to tangle his fingers in Mika's hair, pulling the beautiful blonde back to him for a kiss as their hips slowly started to move together.

Mika moaned, loudly against Yuu's lips as he felt Yuu trying to keep with his rhythm. Pushing and pulling Mika through his tight warmth.

Mika was breathing hard, and desperately gripping the bed as he moved with Yuu, changing his angle over and over again until Yuu screamed his name.

There, Mika thought with a smile, arching himself and speeding his pace into that same spot until he and Yuu were both moving fast and wild against each other, desperately building towards their release.

Mika grunted, feeling the tight coil in his stomach give a tug.

"I'm close, Yuu-chan." He breathed, starting to become sloppier in his haze. "I love you so much."

Yuu gave a cry, nodding his head rapidly. "I love you too Mika. Come with me."

And Mika did.

It was like something bursting, and everything turned white behind Mika's eyes as he rode out his bliss and then collapsed into the slick warmth of Yuu's skin as they rolled together against the bed.

"That was better than anything I could have dreamed up," Yuu panted when he finally started coming too, and Mika laughed, blinking open his eyes.

He moved, pulling out of Yuu and rolling until the too of them were lying on their sides and facing each other, Mika's arm looping around Yuu's waist to pull him closer.

Mika smiled and kissed his forehead.

"It was perfect."

Yuu smiled back.

Then he yawned.

"We should sleep." Mika encouraged, running his fingers through Yuu's hair. "It's been a long day."

Yuu's green looked up into Mika's eyes.

"But then our secret night will be over."

Mika chuckled.

"It has to end eventually." Mika pointed out. "And at least we're ending on a good note, right?"

Yuu blushed and nodded.

"Come on," Mika traced Yuu's cheekbone with his fingers. "Sleep with me. I used to love having you next to me when we were kids. It always made me feel safe."

Yuu smiled. "Me too."

Warmth bloomed in Mika's chest and he leaned forward to give Yuu a slow, chaste kiss on the lips.

Then he rolled over and turned out the light.

"I love you, Yuuichiro." Mika whispered into the dark, as he pulled Yuu into his arms. "I always have."

Yuu curled tighter into Mika's chest.

"I love you back, Mikaela." He replied. "Always."

And their fingers twisted together beneath the sheets, as they slowly fell asleep.

~.~.~.~.~.~


	4. Chapter 4

Mika was a light sleeper.

He woke the second he heard Guren Ichinose open and close the front door downstairs, and he was surprised.

He thought Yuu had told him the noble had no plans of coming home that night.

Yuu must have thought much the same thing, because Mika felt him stir.

Mika didn't know why he did it. Maybe it was just curiosity, but when he felt Yuu move he kept his eyes closed and pretended like he was still asleep.

Yuu must have bought it because he was very careful when he slipped himself out of the bed, pulled on some clothes, and tipped toed across the room. Closing the door behind him almost soundlessly when he left.

As soon as the door was closed Mika opened his eyes.

A bad feeling was twisted up in his stomach, and he rolled carefully out of the bed to follow Yuu. Wrapping himself in a robe he found and creeping silently after him down the hall.

When Mika reached the top of the stairs he could hear Yuu and Guren below him. They were talking, and Guren wasn't being particularly quiet about it.

"What happened?" Yuu was asking him.

"Shinya threw me out."

"Why?" Yuu sounded concerned.

Guren huffed and must have flopped down on some furniture.

"Something about being distracted by work and never paying attention. But I mean, I was sitting there talking to him, so how little attention could I be giving."

Yuu sighed. "Did you forget something again?"

"Don't hassle me, kid." It sounded like Guren kicked his feet up.

"So I heard you left the party with a good-looking blonde boy." Guren commented. "I didn't realize you and me shared similar interests in that department."

"Yeah…" Furnature squeaked as Yuu shifted. "I um… he's upstairs."

"You slept with him?" Guren laughed. "I didn't think you had it in you to hook up with someone on the first night."

Yuu shifted again.

"Guren… can I talk to you about something?"

"Do you need bedroom advice?" there was sloshing, like Guren was drinking from a bottle. "Because it seems a little late to ask now."

"No, no," Yuu's voice picked up, clearly embarrassed. "It's not that-,"

"Well just don't let the relationship get out." Guren talked over Yuu, before he finished. "Shinya and I work because we keep things private. But as a noble you can't get caught doing things that society doesn't approve of, do you understand?"

Yuu was quiet for a moment.

"Guren," He said finally. "Why did you adopt me?"

"Huh?" Guren's voice was loud. "You know why."

"We've never talked about it." Yuu pressed. "I mean… you have expectations…"

"Of course I do." Guren's voice was hard. "I've taken care of you. Hell, I take care of an entire orphanage, FOR YOU. So I expect you to keep your end of the deal."

"Deal?" Yuu repeated. "What do you mean?"

Guren scoffed.

"I expect you to be my heir," He said, his chair creaking as he leaned forward. "I expect you to keep up good appearances as a nobel. I expect you to learn what I tell you to learn, and I expect you to take over for me, when I retire."

"Take over?" Yuu repeated. "You mean the company? You're giving it to me?"

"Of course!" Guren snorted. "What do you think? I adopted you to create a legacy. The entire point was so that you could take over and run my holdings for me someday."

"So that was the reason…" Yuu's voice dropped, and Mika's heart hurt for him. Because he could tell he was disappointed.

"And… what if… for some reason… I couldn't do that?"

Silence fell over the room.

Mika could hear his own heartbeat.

"That wouldn't happen." Guren replied finally. His voice low, and angry and hard.

"But-,"

"You owe me kid." Guren snapped, cutting Yuu off. "I don't know what's gotten into you. But you will fulfill your side of our bargain. After everything I've done to set you up for it, there is no excuse."

Yuu was silent.

"But I didn't chose to-," Yuu started to argue.

Something glass shattered loudly on the floor.

"Didn't chose? Are you kidding me? You've taken everything I've given you. Insisted I keep funding the hold in the wall I rescued you from. You live in my house, you survive on my dime, and you're saying you didn't choose this?"

Yuu was silent again.

"You're right." He said eventually. "I don't know what came over me."

"Well don't let it come over you again." Guren snapped. "Or else I might start feeling a lot less generous towards you and your orphanage friends."

Mika swallowed.

He crept quickly back down the hall. Slipping into the room and closing the door.

He put the robe back and climbed back into the bed, pretending to be asleep incase Yuu came back. But his heart was beating hard in his chest.

Yuu was right before. If he left with Mika he was sacrificing more than just his own lifestyle. He was sacrificing for everyone he had ever gotten Guren to give money too. And there was also something else…

Guren didn't strike Mika as the type of man to let things go. He already knew the nobel was after him for the things he stole. If Yuu disappeared, and Guren found out by any means that Mika's crew was behind it, then he would never stop chasing them until he brought them down.

And then Yuu would probably be strung up along side the rest of them.

Mika cringed in horror.

No.

The door opened a few moments later, and then quietly closed again as Yuu came back. Mika pushed all of his thoughts aside and played perfectly asleep as the boy climbed in next to him in the bed.

Mika felt Yuu roll over and kiss him on the back of the neck.

Mika felt something hot and bitter rise up in his throat.

Yuu settled into the bed. Pulling the sheets over himself and shuffling until he was comfortable.

Mika waited. Listening to Yuu's breathing until he could hear the boy drift off to sleep.

It took longer than it should have.

When the room was silent, and Mika was certain the boy beside him had fallen asleep, he opened his eyes.

He could hear the house falling asleep. The footsteps of servants disappearing, the glow of lamps darkening from underneath the door. The sound of Guren's loud shuffling moving upstairs and then shutting inside his room and eventually going silent.

Mika listened to all of this, and he was certain hours were passing. But for him it felt like minutes as time rushed by with his troubling thoughts.

Mika never should have come back.

The thought hurt, in a way that was almost crippling even as Mika thought it. But he couldn't tell himself anymore that it wasn't true.

Yuu had a life before Mika came back. Maybe he missed him then, but it wasn't like this. Back then, the two of them were just echos left of a past life. Memories and regrets that Yuu would think about but ultimately move on from as he continued to live his life, but now…

It wouldn't be a clean break. It couldn't, anymore. Not now that they knew what it felt like to be together. Not after they thought they could have it, even for just one night.

But clean or not it was about to be broken.

Mika closed his eyes against a hot stinging that traveled all the way down to his throat.

 _I'm sorry, Yuu-chan._

Mika was silent. More silent than he thought he knew how to be. Because if this hurt now, it would only hurt more if Mika woke him.

Mika found his clothes, slipping them on in the dark and then pausing for only a moment to look back at the sleeping boy in the bed.

 _I'm so very sorry._

Then Mika snuck soundlessly through the door.

Mika was quick. His feet almost weightless as he rushed down the stairs. Grabbing his coat and jacket from the peg before sneaking carefully to one of the first floor windows.

Mika stepped through the window and down behind some bushes on the side of the house. Closing the window meticulously behind him before keeping a crouch as he ran across the lawn and off the property of Guren Ichinose.

Never to see it again.

~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

"Captain?"

Mika strode onto his ship at a clipped pace. His face drawn and a darkness hanging over eyes.

His first mate, Akane, sat up from where she was lounging on some boxes.

"What happened?" She asked, at the look on Mika's face.

He just shook his head. "Is everyone back here?"

"They are…" Akane said slowly. "Most of them are drunk-,"

"Then we're setting sail."

"What?" Akane demanded. "Right now?"

"Now." Mika said firmly. "Are you questioning me?"

"No…" Akane's expression tightened. "Mika… did you find Yuu?"

Mika flinched.

"Gather everyone. I want us out in deep water in forty minutes."

Akane pressed her lips together.

"Yes captain."

The crew was not pleased at being roused that night. But there wasn't a member among them who couldn't sense the somberness in the air. The cold feeling of something ending.

They complained, but quietly, and it didn't stop them from rushing to their stations and pushing off as quickly as they could manage. All under the silent watch of their captain who stood at the helm. Looking out at the black water before him with the look of someone suffering from a death.

No one asked a word about it.

The dock hands at the port would later comment that they saw the shadow of white sails in the moonlight that night. Like a phantom ship drifting on the waves. If anyone asked them to describe it, they would say they couldn't. The night was too dark, and the fog had already rolled in early.

And the ship disappeared over the horizon before morning.

~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

 **~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One Year and Seven Months Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 _"Mika? Mika?" Yuu rolled over to an empty bed. His arm shifting through cold sheets._

 _He sat up._

 _"Mika?"_

 _Yuu looked around the room wildly, his eyes dropping to the the floor to see the missing clothes._

 _Yuu jumped out of bed._

 _He left the room, pounding down the stairs to cast searching eyes around the first floor, getting confused looks from the servants._

 _Then his eyes fell on the coat rack, where Mika's coat no longer was._

 _Yuu swallowed._

 _"Emily." He grabbed the maid's arm as she passed by. "Have you seen my friend from last night?"_

 _The girl blinked. "No sir. I haven't seen anyone all morning."_

 _"Was the door unlocked?" Yuu demanded._

 _"No." The girl replied but her lips pursed. "There was an unlocked window though. I thought it was odd… I know I locked it last night…"_

 _Yuu dropped her arm like it burned._

 _He swallowed again. Compulsively. Like he was forcing something down._

 _"Thank you."_

 _Yuu stood for a few moments. The household moving around him with the morning routine, like a river flowing around a heavy stone. Then Yuu grabbed his coat from the peg._

 _"I'm going out."_

 _And he was out the door._

 _"Yeah, one of the ships that was here last night was gone when I got here this morning." The dock attendant told him when Yuu stood on the port, feeling the spray of a stormy sea kick up around him. "It was odd. Some of my guys think they saw it just take off in the middle of the night. Must have been pirates. Their paperwork seemed a little off to me, and it would explain why they didn't want anyone to know where they were going."_

 _Yuu's hands clenched into fists._

 _"Yeah," He said turning his eyes to look out over the stormy horizon. "Must have been pirates."_

Mika opened his eyes.

It was that same dream again. The dream he didn't totally understand.

It was like he was watching Yuu, the morning after he left- over a year ago. And it had repeated over and over again in his mind almost every night.

Sometimes he drank, hoping that would make it quiet.

It only worked about half of the time.

Mika slowly sat up in his bed.

"Good morning Captain," the crew greeted him when Mika climbed onto the deck. Akane looked up from her post and came over to him.

"Captain, we should make land by this afternoon."

"Good," Mika looked down at her. "We should meet with the seller as soon as possible. We'll spend the night at port but we need to leave before tomorrow. It's been a long time but the Ichinose merchandise is still hot and our last sale could have the authorities on our tail."

"Of course." Akane nodded. "I'll be sure to keep the others in check while we're on land.

"I'm counting on you." Mika replied.

He was about to turn around when Akane spoke.

"Mika…?"

Mika stiffened and turned around, raising a challenging eyebrow.

Akane ducked her head. "Sorry… It's just… How long is this going to go on for?"

"What?" Mika demanded.

Akane sighed. "You haven't been the same since… Since that night. The crew feels like you're barely around anymore. Always drinking alone and staying in your cabin. We've been patient but… how long do you expect us to wait?"

Mika scoffed.

"Mind your own business, Akane." Mika replied, and tried to turn away again.

"We miss him too." Akane said suddenly and Mika stopped again with his back to her. She sighed.

"I know how close you two were, before when we were all kids." She said, her voice gentle. "And even though you never talk about it… we're all really sorry about whatever happened between you two. But how long are you going to use it as an excuse to shut us out?"

Mika shoulders tightened.

He stood there for a while, like he might say something. Then… after a long heavy silence, he started walking again. Once again disappearing into his cabin.

~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

"I can't believe that fence tried to short us." one of the crew members was complaining as the crew all walked together through the crowded port town. Trying to dodge drunken stumbling men and shouting spanish merchants as the bright amber sunlight bled out of the streets. "What are we supposed to be, amateurs?"

"To be fair, Ichinose and the yard have been making those pieces tough to move." another member replied. "Lots of fences won't even touch them, so I guess we should count our blessings."

"Don't say that out loud! Do you want to draw attention?"

Mika sighed.

"So where are we headed, captain?" one of them asked. "To the bars?"

"If you like." Mika replied. "I'm headed back to the ship, and all of us are leaving at dawn so I expect you all to be sharp."

The crew groaned.

"We can still hit it light tonight, and sleep it off before morning. What do you say?"

The rest of the crew cheered.

Akane looked at Mika. "Captain?"

"Keep an eye on them." He replied, still walking as the crew started to disperse in search of the nearest bar. "I don't want trouble tonight."

Akane sighed but nodded. "Yes sir," she said, and diverged from his side in the direction of the others.

~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

The sun was low on the horizon when Mika made it back to the ship alone. The sound of the town a distant ruckus and the lap of the waves musical on the air.

Mika boarded his ship with slow heavy steps. Crossing the deck to lean his arms on the side and stare out of over dark water as the sky slowly died from bright orange to violet. Taking the blue of the water away with the light.

Mika sighed.

He used to like this view. The whole ocean in front of him, the vast sky, the long horizon, and the smell of fresh air like freedom in the air. But at that moment it just made him feel like a small, very lost thing in a great big world.

"One year," he said, his voice heavy as he watched the sun disappear at the end of another day. "Seven months, two weeks, and five days."

CREAK.

Mika sucked in a breath. About to whirl around at the noise when suddenly a sword came up to catch him around the throat.

"Five days?" A voice said low in his ear. "I think you might be a little premature there, Captain. The day's not over yet."

Mika heart jumped in his chest.

It couldn't be…

"You know… it was very difficult to find you." The voice continued casually. The sword at Mika's throat drawing cooly over his skin. "If you hadn't started selling the Ichinose pieces, I probably wouldn't have caught up to you for years. But I guess having an inventory of the items made things easier."

Mika swallowed. "Is that…" he cleared his throat. "Is it really you?"

"Hmm…" The voice hummed. "Not technically. Not according to government records. After all… if you were to ask Scotland Yard…"

A hand reached up to grab Mika's shoulder. Turning him around to look into bright green eyes.

Tan lips smiled.

"Yuuichiro Ichinose died at sea 16 months ago."

Mika's breath hissed through his teeth.

"Yuu…" he whispered his eyes wide with shock.

Mika stared for a moment, slowly taking in the boy before him.

He looked different. His body looked harder, his skin tanner, and his clothes were loose, revealing cuts of his collarbone and neck. Hinting at the muscles that had grown under the thin linen.

He looked like a pirate.

Mika blinked. "Wait, died?"

Yuu smirked. "The story isn't widespread yet. Quite the tragedy though. Mr. Ichinose set his son on a voyage to retrieve some stolen property that was recently recovered over seas. But before they made it, the ship went through a mutiny and the boy was cast overboard in the chaos. It's a shame, really." Yuu's eyes met Mika's. "No one will ever be able to find a body in the middle of the ocean."

Mika raised his eyes back to Yuu's, slowly searching them as he took in what the boy was saying.

And then he smiled.

"You found me." He said, feeling a rush of emotion crash over him that he hadn't felt for a very long time.

It made his throat tight.

Yuu smiled in response and his lips spread over his teeth.

"Yeah well," he shrugged. "I didn't really peg you as the type for a one night stand, so I thought I had better check."

Mika tensed.

"Yuu-chan…" He murmured, ducking his head. "I'm so sorry… I was trying-,"

"I know." Yuu cut him off, looking sideways and shaking his head.. "You heard what Guren was saying to me that night didn't you?"

Mika closed his eyes. .

"I thought I heard something when we were talking." Yuu confessed. "But I thought, if it was you then you would have just said something. But then I guess then you wouldn't have been able to sneak away."

Mika flinched. "I'm sorry."

Yuu sighed.

"You've always been so protective." he said, running a hand through his wild black hair. "I should have seen it coming. I did sort of. But…" Yuu shook his head again. "I know what you were trying to do."

Mika nodded, letting an uneasy silence fill the air.

Then Mika spoke again.

"You faked your death to come after me." Mika said slowly. "So you think Guren…"

"I don't know." Yuu stared off into the horizon, cool winds blowing through his clothes, making them flutter. "But I've done everything I can. Yuu Ichinose is dead. One way or another. So that's the end of it."

Mika looked at him. "So who are you now, then?"

Yuu finally met Mika's eyes. His lips curved.

"Yuuichiro Hyakuya."

Mika's eyes widened.

"How did you…" He started to say and Yuu laughed.

"I remembered your last name from before." Yuu said. "Mikaela Shindo. But when I was looking for you though I found out that Mikaela Shindo was recorded as dying in a fire. That's what gave me my idea for an escape plan."

Yuu tilted his head. "The Matron at the orphanage…. she told us once her maiden name was Hyakuya. It's far enough off the beaten path that no one would connect it. It was a good choice."

Mika smiled. "I thought so at the time."

Yuu took a step forward. "So does that mean you don't mind sharing?"

Mika smiled. "You have a right to it as much as I do. Besides…" he looked down, red spreading over his cheeks.

Yuu's hand reached out and twined with Mika's.

"You didn't say goodbye…" he whispered, his voice suddenly serious, and low. His hand squeezed Mika's.

"I didn't know how to say goodbye to you." Mika whispered back. "I don't think I ever have."

"Then don't ever do it again, idiot." Yuu grumbled, raising his eyes to look up into Mika's.

Mika squeezed Yuu's hand tightly.. "Never again."

Yuu's lips pulled up and he stepped forward again, this time tipping his head up so that when he took his last step his lips connected with Mika's, and the blonde sucked in a breath.

His hands came up to hold Yuu's face, pulling him closer as their lips melded and moved lazily against each other in the cool sea air.

Yuu wrapped his arms around Mika's neck.

"I missed you," Mika breathed when they pulled away to catch their breath. Yuu pulled back and smiled at him with red lips.

"I'm not taking my eyes off you ever again, just so you know," he said, reaching up to run his fingers through Mika's wild blonde hair.

Mika chuckled.

"I think I can live with that," he replied, rubbing his hand against the side of Yuu's neck.

Yuu turned his head to kiss his palm. "Me too."

Mika closed his eyes and leaned their foreheads together.

"Where is your crew?" Yuu whispered, tightening his grip around Mika's neck.

"Out." Mika replied. "They're supposed to be back by morning."

Yuu grinned. "Then it sounds like we have some time." He leaned up and kissed the side of Mika's jaw. "And I think you owe me another secret holiday."

Mika glided his nose along the side of Yuu's, tracing it up and down. "I'm all yours."

Yuu kissed him again. "Until morning?"

Mika pulled him back in, making the kiss last longer. He spoke against his lips.

"Forever, Yuu-chan."

 **~ The End ~**


End file.
